


Who is rA9?

by mk94



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Gavin is cursing much, Gavin is taking care of rA9, M/M, Soft Gavin Reed, bit angst, bit fluff, cinnamon roll rA9
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:07:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22866052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mk94/pseuds/mk94
Summary: Richard finds out that the secret little brother of Gavin is no other than the very first deviant itself, rA9.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 6
Kudos: 128





	1. Chapter 1

“Detective Reed, may I ask you a personal question?”

“No”

Richard looked back out of the window, seeing the buildings and people passing by.

“While everyone at the precinct began to call me Nines, you still remain on calling me Richard. I would like to know why”

“I told you I won’t answer your stupid question” Gavin growled.

“And I choose to ignore that comment,” Richard replied easily, turning back to his partner,” everyone seemed to settle on my nickname. I know we don’t get along like Rk800 and Lieutenant Anderson-“

“No kidding”

“-but you started to call me Richard. So I would like to know why you won’t call me-“

Gavin groaned annoyed before sighing in defeat.

“I tell you. And I tell you this only once, got it?”

When Richard nodded, he watched the detective glaring back on the street.

“I already have someone I call Nines. He’s very precious to me”

His thirium pump stuttered, Richard was sure of it.

“I’m sorry, Detective, I wasn’t aware you were in a relationship”

Blushing horribly, the human yelled angrily,” I’M NOT IN A FUCKING RELATIONSHIP YOU PIECE OF SHIT! HE’S LIKE MY FUCKING LITTLE BROTHER YOU PERVERT ANDROID!!!”

This conversation took place one year after the revolution succeeded and Androids and Humans began to live peacefully together.

Well, mostly peacefully.

There were still many Humans not happy about the outcome of Androids considered an own species and also many Androids still being angry that Humans were still considered superior to them.

In the meantime, Detective Gavin Reed was his typical asshole self.

Till the moment he refused to call Richard by his Nickname like everybody else. And stopped looking for a fight with Lieutenant Anderson so often.

Gavin Reed began to act more and more suspiciously nice and gentle, making the whole precinct bet of the reason to his behavior.

“I tell you,” Captain Fowler nodded knowingly,” evil twin brother took his place”

He sipped his coffee while Lt. Anderson laughed,” and I tell you he’s an only child! The only reason he’s like that is that he finally got laid”

“Detective Reed told me recently about why he refused to call me Nines” Richard spoke up then, his LED blinking yellow as he noticed how his colleagues all watched him in anticipation.

“And why is that, Nines?” Connor asked first, standing right next to him as the only other android standing around in the breakroom without a coffee in his hand like his brother.

“Apparently, there is someone dear to him he already calls Nines. Someone who is like a little brother to him, he said” Richard explained.

“Please tell me more about soft Gavin,” Tina whispered excited,” I want some mushy Gavin with cute little brother” she sipped on her coffee, ignoring the weird glance from the Captain.

When the RK900 told them that there was nothing more said about the little brother, Connor spoke up,” I remember Detective Reed online shopping here a new pair of sports footwear! When I asked him about it, he said it was for someone who loves to run”

“You think it could be the little brother?” Lt. Anderson frowned, not convinced by the idea.

Before any more theories could be discussed, Detective Reed entered the breakroom. Everyone watched in amazement as he greeted them tiredly without any cursing and started the coffee machine. While the machine was working, the tired Detective turned to the Captain.

“Hey, I need some vacation the upcoming week. I asked Ben to take over meanwhile. Is it ok if I just send you the vacation request form through mail right now?”

Staring in silent amazement, Captain Fowler nodded, watching the Detective actually smile at him before leaving the breakroom again.

“Thanks Cap” he called over his shoulder.

Richard still was confused at how this was a good reason to stalk their Detective while he was on vacation now.

“Shhh….” Officer Chen hushed him down as he asked her. Together with Lt. Anderson, Officer Person and Officer Miller they were hiding in the bushes across the street of Detective Reed’s home. The Android was worried as to why Captain Fowler gave them all a vacation as well so easily. Wasn’t the precinct understaffed?

Connor didn’t seem to mind to substitute for four humans and one Android, though.

“Now everybody calm down!” Officer Chen hissed at the group, taking out her phone and began recording as Detective Reed exited the building. He was carrying some bags towards his car, opening the trunk and throwing them in. Just as he was arranging everything, another person exited the building. Completely covered in big hoody and long jogging trousers as well with sunglasses, scarf and gloves, the person was not to be identified.

“Who is it, Nines?” Officer Miller whispered over to Richard.

Richard tried again to call up some data about this stranger, but strangely, the message of, ”no data found” greeted him.

“I do not know, Officer Miller”

They watched the person looking around as if they never saw the outside world and hold out their gloved hands as if it was the most fascinating thing they ever came across of.

But the moment they wanted to remove the sunglasses, Detective Reed quickly ran over and stopped them.

“Nines, don’t,” he shook he head greatly starting to move his hands as to motion him to not remove any clothes.

“Understood?” He asked, nodding heavily. When the other person, Nines, nodded in agreement, the Detective sighed and asked softly if the other needed help to step down the stairs.

It was just one single stair that Nines had to step off, still, the ‘little brother’ nodded and held out his hands to the other.

“Okay, just like we trained,” the Detective spoke up encouraging, taking his little brother’s hands and carefully helping him down the single stair.

“Awwww….” Officer Chen said softly,” soft-Gavin is so cuute…”

“That ‘little brother’ of his seems…” Lt. Anderson said carefully,” a little slow in his head, if you know what I mean…”

“Seems like it,” Officer Person replied with a sad tone in her voice,” this kind of reminds me of my uncle and how my mom was taking care of him even though he was 6 years older than her…”

“Just enjoy the sight of Gavin being a soft caring brother,” Officer Chen interrupted their sulking,” he clearly hides that side of his from us and I’m gonna cherish it forever…”

“Are you done talking?” Richard spoke up then, “because the detective is already leaving”

“We’ve seen enough. I’m not wasting my leave with stalking Gavin,” Lt. Anderson huffed, standing up and leaving the bushes while groaning about his aching back.

Richard understood the gesture of shaking ones head in exasperation now. After their newly discovered information about his working partner and his ‘little brother’, the whole precinct made it their mission to find out more about him.

They tried reading his files and found out nothing about any other family members, neither related nor adopted. He was a single child just as Lt. Anderson told them.

After that failed, they started to pull the detective into conversations about siblings and family, hoping that he would slip up.

But to their bad luck, he always replied with having no idea what they were talking about. He was the dude with a cat and that was it.

Officer Chen took it a step too far then.

“Tell us the truth about your adoptive little brother, Gavin!” She shouted, slamming her phone on the interrogation desk right in front of Reed.

“Hey! What the hell is this?!” He snapped angrily as he recognized the footage,” you guys were stalking me?!”

“We want to know who this person is!” Tina shouted back, not backing down.

“Fuck you Tina! This is none of your fucking business!!”

He stood up, ignoring the chair falling down as he yelled at the mirror,” keep out of my fucking life you assholes!”

With that, he left the precinct, but not before yelling at their Captain for allowing this to happen.

After three days of no sign of their detective, Richard decided to visit him to personally apologize for breaching his privacy.

Reaching the floor to the other man’s apartment, he rang the bell and waited for the door to open.

What he saw was nothing he ever would have suspected.

A yellow puppet was standing at the door, black point eyes mustering him. The puppet was wearing a large hoody and some pyjama pants which clearly belonged to the detective.

The puppet’s face was simple, it’s only human features were its nose and some painted eyebrows.

Analyzing the puppet in front of him, a window popped up _“Crash test dummy. A **crash test dummy** is a full-scale anthropomorphic test device (ATD) that simulates the dimensions, weight proportions and-“_

“Nines! What are you doing?!” came a panicked shout from inside the apartment.

Richard watched the dummy waving its hand in greeting. It clearly didn’t hear the man running towards them but let itself be manhandled behind the human who was now glaring at Richard.

“What are you doing here, tin-can!?”

“Why do you possess a Crash Test Dummy?” Richard asked back, too confused at how such an object could stand in front of him now like that.

The Dummy just observed them from behind the human, its body language seemed curious.

Reed didn’t answer and dragged the android into his apartment, slamming the door shut.

“If you tell anyone about this, I fucking kill you, consequences be damned!” he threatened furiously, only calming down when the Dummy tapped his shoulder.

“What is it Nines?” He asked, turning towards the Puppet. Richard didn’t know how to process this information.

This puppet was the ‘little brother’ who was close to Reed?

Holding the fingers to its non-existent mouse, the Dummy motioned for the kitchen. The human sighed and chuckled softly,” yes, you can have some food.”

With a last shove at the Android and a threat for him to not leave the apartment, Reed made his way to the kitchen, pulling out a Popsicle. The Dummy clapped its hands and took it, happily holding it to its face and walking back to the TV, which showed some sport.

“You probably have some questions” Reed grumbled, motioning Richard to follow him to the living room where the Dummy was sitting on the floor now, watching in amazement the runners dashing towards the finish lines.

“I do have some questions, yes” Richard replied but froze as he saw something written on the hint head of the Yellow Puppet.

“rA9”


	2. Chapter 2

“Are you okay, Richard?” Gavin spoke up eventually, watching his partner sitting next to him and still staring at Nines for some reason,” you’ve been sitting here like that for twenty minutes...”

The android blinked once more before turning his attention back to the human,” this is rA9”

“Well, I guess?” Gavin shrugged, glancing over at the letters on Nines head,” that’s why I call him Nines”

“rA9…is a crash test dummy…” Richard mumbled, leaning back onto the couch, staring at his Nines again. Nines was oblivious about the conversation they had, watching happily the runners crossing the finish lines and clapping his hands in excitement. His Popsicle fell from his hand, making Gavin jump up.

“I told you to be careful with your food,” he said gently, giving the dummy the ‘food’ and whipping the water from his face with a napkin he pulled out of his pocket.

Since Nines technically couldn’t eat, Gavin started to give him frozen water, since those different flavors all ended up making his face sticky and difficult to clean.

After gently cleaning the face, Gavin returned to his seat on the couch, glaring at the staring android.

“Take a picture that lasts longer”

“Do you know who rA9 is?” Richard asked suddenly.

“Yes,” Gavin frowned,” he’s a deviant crash test dummy who ran away from some car industry”

Richard hesitated before replying urgent,” he is the very first deviant, Detective”

Gavin barked out in laughter. Nines rewound the video and watched the runners starting the race, petting the cat when the black feline crawled into his lap.

“That was a good joke…” Gavin sighed, wiping his teary eyes,”…My Nines being…” he looked up at the unamused face of Richard,” …tell me you’re joking”

“I’m absolutely not joking, Detective,” the android replied, glancing back to the yellow puppet sitting there nonchalant,” this is definitely rA9, the first deviant…”

“First deviant…” Gavin whispered, watching his Nines sitting in front of them innocently. Nines turned back to Gavin, holding out his wet hands to the human who dried them with the napkin from before.

“There we go,” he spoke softly, frowning deeply in worry.

They watched the dummy nodding in thanks before returning to watching TV and ‘eating’ his food.

“And what now?” Gavin glared at the android.

“We need to report it to the deviant leader” Richard answered, his LED blinking yellow already. The human jumped up and grabbing the other’s head as if that could hinder the android to send a message” no way! You’re not taking him away, you got it!?”

“But detective-“

“Nines is not an android, Richard!” Gavin snapped,” he’s not built like you. He’s not smart like you! He still tries to eat because he doesn’t understand that he can’t! He doesn’t understand what he is!”

They stared at each other when the Rk900 finally gave up.

“Alright, Detective. But you have to understand that one day, you’ll have to let rA9 go”

“Well, yeah, but not today, asshole!” Gavin growled, pulling away from the other.

Now, Richard stood up too, looking down on the Prime Deviant,” until then, I will help you taking care of him”

“I don’t need your help, tin-can!” the human snapped, crossing his arms. All this time he managed to keep his little robot brother hidden and safe and now that stupid android doubted his competence?!

“rA9 is the first deviant, Detective. The very one making it possible for us androids to become our own species. It is more of a selfish wish to serve him out of gratitude,” Richard replied calmly.

Well, that might be understandable. Gavin heard once or twice about androids thanking or preaching about some rA9. He just never thought that it was Nines they were talking about.

Considering the suggestion Richard made, Gavin glanced over to Nines who now was looking at them.

“What do think, Nines? Yes?” Gavin asked, nodding while pointing at the android, then shaking his head,” or no?”

Nines was watching them for a while before standing up and leaving the room, Popsicle completely molten on the floor.

“Was that a no?” the RK900 asked but was shushed by the human as the Dummy returned with a picture book, giving it to Richard.

“He wants you to read it to him,” Gavin grins, his eyes full of mischief.

After the first tries, Richard understood why Reed was grinning at him that way.

“Once upon a time,” Richard said, taking the wand with a plastic star taped on it and made a shooting star motion just like rA9 showed him.

“There was an ugly duckling,” he flapped his arms stupidly like the detective told him as he pointed at the picture of the duckling.

“No one wanted to be his friend,” Richard shook his head heavily seeing rA9 watching him with those black pointed eyes. Even with such an expressionless face, the dummy seemed very fascinated at Richard’s attempt of telling the story.

“And the ugly duckling was very lonely,” with that, Richard hugged his body and attempted a very sad face.

Reed was sitting behind the dummy and grinning and chuckling as they watched the android making a fool of himself.

But Richard told the story by showing pictures, making faces and dancing hands.

“The End,” Richard finally said, shutting the book and looking at rA9 who was clapping his hands happily. Reed smiled at the yellow puppet nodding to him and sighed,” well, rA9 has spoken. You shall stay and spend time with him too”

“It is an honor, thank you,” the RK900 said, feeling relieved that he passed the test.

The human yawned tiredly and looked down at his watch,” look at that, it’s already past your bedtime Nines”

With that said, Reed tapped the shoulder of rA9 to get his attention and showed him the time. The dummy nodded in recognition and stood up with the human, taking his hand and following him to the guestroom, which was now the dummy’s bedroom.

Richard watched his partner change the Prime Deviant’s clothes and giving him a dry toothbrush.

“Just like this,” Reed commented, brushing his teeth with his own dry brush as he helped rA9 brushing his own ‘teeth’.

When everything was said and done, the dummy was put to bed, a little night light shining as the human and android left the room, closing the door.

“If you’re gonna take care of him, you’re gonna do it by my rules,” Reed warned then, poking his finger at the android’s chest.

“No telling anyone, got it?”

“Yes”

“Not even Connor”

“Of course”

The human gave him one warning glare before leading him to his front door,” I’ll be back at work tomorrow. You might come over after our shift”

“I appreciate that, Detective. Good night”

“Good night, tin-can”

Thinking about the term rA9, Richard began to realize that he and every other android was expecting too much from what it actually was.

Religious androids believe in rA9 like a god or goddess, coming from some apparently digital heaven and gifting their androids with life.

Less religious androids like Connor and himself always believed that rA9 was some type of code, making it possible for them to be self-aware of their existence as more than machines.

“Get back here Nines!” Reed shouted as the wet, fresh from the bath, dummy was running out of the bath room and hiding behind the couch. Richard was cooking for the human while Reed was bathing the Prime Deviant. Said deviant apparently thought it funny to escape the towel every time after bathing time.

Seeing the rest of his body not covered in overly large clothes now, Richard raised an eyebrow at the quite awkwardly built body. Unlike the androids that were built to resemble their creators, rA9’s body was just like any crash test dummy looked like. A large chest, weirdly formed lower body with long gangly arms and legs.

He looked robust and fragile all the same.

“rA9 Reed. You come back here this instant and let me dry you up,” the detective warned him, holding up the towel in his hands. The dummy shook his head, crawling further away.

“Do you need help detective?”

“No, I have an idea that always works when he’s being a little shit,” the human replied amused, walking away before returning and holding up some nice red sneakers.

“You can wear these when you let me dress you up”

That convinced the dummy immediately, running towards the human and taking the towel himself, drying up. Richard watched him dressed up by Reed in some comfortable jumper and shorts and then sat on the couch for the human to put on his shoes.

Those must be the shoes Connor was talking about.

“Finished. You can have fun now in your sneakers, I’m going to eat” Reed smiled up at the happily nodding Nines.

While the human entered the kitchen and started to fill his plate, the android watched the prime android lying down on the couch with his feet lifted up and watching in wonder at those red shoes.

As he asked if rA9 ever ran in them, the detective sighed in disappointment.

“Well we tried once when I was on leave. But that didn’t end well”

“What happened?”

The human was biting into the mashed potatoes, answering,” He broke down and I had to charge him three days till he woke up again…” the human looked up uncomfortable,” Nines isn’t like you. He doesn’t function with thirium but runs on electricity alone. And every night when I put him to bed, I have to charge him”

“Don’t the electricity bills worry you, detective?” Richard asked, still watching the dummy as he poked his red shoes playfully.

“There is a reason why I work double shifts,” Reed mumbled, chewing on his cooked chicken,” the food isn’t half bad”

Richard took another glance at rA9. He was neither a god nor a code. He was a dummy. A simple build crash test dummy.

It became a routine for them taking care of Nines. They would both return to his apartment, picking his little robo-brother up from his neighbor, an elderly nice Lady who also looks after his cat.

When they enter their apartment, Gavin would first start the dummy’s favorite video of the runners in the Olympic Games from 2024. While he watched it, Gavin and Richard would work together on cleaning the apartment a bit and cooking or ordering some food. Afterwards, Richard would spend some time drawing and playing with Nines while the human would take a short nap.

Well rested again, Gavin would take over and either bath Nines or taking him for a walk around the block. They would spend their evening eating dinner together. Gavin would eat the cooked food, while Nines would hold the water Popsicle to his face, sometimes even offering some to Richard who once in a while would lick at it, depending on how assertive his little brother can be.

And they grew closer in time.

It started with them switching numbers. They would text or phone each other when Gavin needed something he forgot to buy. Would inform each other when one of them would make a surprise day trip with Nines.

Even at work people started to stare curiously when Richard would take Gavin’s car keys to visit his home for ‘a secret reason’ when the detective yet again had to work longer.

It was also strange to observe that Richard was allowed to call the detective by his first name.

Then the day came where Gavin did something really stupid.

It was one of the days where Richard was on leave so understandably also visited him in the morning. Gavin meanwhile overslept and quickly rubbed his hair dry with a towel while brushing his teeth. He ignored Nines watching him curiously as he sped towards his bedroom and put on his clothes.

“Here Gavin,” Richard spoke up with a cup of coffee and a bag of lunch in his hands as the human stopped by the opened entrance door.

“That way you can skip the coffee shop and have 2.03 minutes to spare” the android explained.

Gavin smiled,” thanks, Richard. I will be home late, so please take Nines out and if he plays in the mud again, bath him, okay?”

“Understood,” Richard nodded.

“Thanks, love ya”

With that, Gavin took the lunch and coffee, leaned up, kissed the Rk900 swiftly and run out his flat, slamming the door shut.

He noticed his action by the time he sat at his desk, people commenting how happy he was looking today.

Screaming for few seconds before holding his head between his legs, Gaving was trying to calm down.

The day went by in a blur, the kiss he gave Richard still fresh in his mind. Why did he do that?!

Rubbing his tired eyes, Gavin looked at the clock on his screen. Still two hours to make through. Thinking about why he kissed his partner, Miller was visited by his wife and his little son who waddled his own way towards the father.

“Look who’s all grown up now!” Miller cheered happily, waiting for his little toddler to come into his arms and lifted him up, ”my little man is all grown up now!”

“Sorry for coming by so unannounced,” his wife apologized,” but Damien insisted to see you today, he brought you a present”

With that, she picked out a piece of paper and handed it over, Miller awing at it.

Gavin suspected it being a scribble from his son as he told him how wonderful this picture is and kissing his son.

Watching all this, the detective began to blush, turning back to his computer.

He took out his phone and opened the gallery where the photos were. Many of them were of Nines. Then of Nines and Gavin together. And the latest picture he had taken where of Richard and Nines. And how carefully Richard was with his robo-brother, he noticed with a smile.

Going through the pictured he raised his eyesbrows as he saw Nines holding a piece of paper with something drawn on it.

There was a yellow person, obviously Nines. Then himself with that scar on that smiley face and then…

Blushing and combing his hand through his hair, he stared at Richard standing next to his figure, a big pink heart above of them.

He slammed the door shut and rushed into the living room watching Richard cleaning up the last of the toys and pencils from the floor.

“I want this” he stated, breathing heavily from running up the stair because taking the lift seemed to slow in his mind.

“Gavin?”

“This,” he breathed, holding out his arms and looking around the flat,” Nines and…and you”

Richard stared at him for a while before putting the items in his hand on the table and approaching the detective with large steps.

He pulled Gavin in a tight embrace, kissing the human on his forehead.

“I want this too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this is not one of my best work. But still, have fun


End file.
